The form is the last step between an interested visitor and a real enquiry, and it is also the place that loses opportunities silently. A visitor who opens a long or confusing form closes the page without telling you why. These are the principles we apply when designing forms.
01Split it up, do not flood
Instead of one page with twenty fields, split it into short steps, each with one clear question. A simple progress bar tells the visitor where they are and how much is left, which eases the feeling that it never ends.
02Ask the easy things first
Start with quick choice questions (project type, platforms) before the fields that need typing. Once a visitor has taken the first two steps they are more likely to finish. Leave personal details for the last step, when they are already invested in what they entered.
03Make errors understandable
"Invalid field" helps nobody. Say what happened and how to fix it: "The email format is not valid; check for the @ and the domain, like [email protected]". Show the error next to the field itself and move focus to it.
04Do not lose what they typed
The worst experience is making a mistake in one field and having the whole form reset. Keep the answers, allow going back to the previous step, and if possible save the draft. After sending, tell them clearly what happens next and when to expect a reply.
05The takeaway
A good form feels short, is clear in its errors, respects what the visitor wrote, and says what happens after sending. These details can be the difference between a visitor who closes the page and a client who starts with you.
